Why it matters
- Asian chip stocks rebounded on Wednesday, Oct. 21, after better-than-expected results from U.S. AI server maker Super Micro Computer eased worries about AI spending, Trading Economics said. The Kospi jumped 3.29% to 5,735.66 and the Nikkei 225 rose 0.85% to 64,621.24, Yahoo Finance data showed.
- Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.90% to 23,651.87, its lowest since July, and mainland China's Shanghai Composite lost 0.60% after battery maker CATL slumped on slower profit growth, Trading Economics said.
- India reopened after Tuesday's holiday, and the Sensex slipped 0.19% from Monday as financials and rising oil prices weighed, Trading Economics said. Australia's ASX 200 edged up 0.16%.
Session recap: what happened in this region's trading day, with sources.
Asian chip stocks rebounded on Wednesday, Oct. 21, because better-than-expected results from U.S. AI server maker Super Micro Computer eased investor concerns about AI spending, Trading Economics said. South Korea's Kospi jumped 3.29% to 5,735.66, recovering from a six-month closing low, and Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.85% to 64,621.24, according to Yahoo Finance data. Hong Kong and mainland China fell as battery maker CATL slumped.
| Market | Wednesday close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Nikkei 225 (Japan) | 64,621.24 | +0.85% |
| Kospi (South Korea) | 5,735.66 | +3.29% |
| Taiex (Taiwan) | 46,887.77 | +1.28% |
| Hang Seng (Hong Kong) | 23,651.87 | −0.90% |
| Shanghai Composite (China) | 3,713.03 | −0.60% |
| Shenzhen Component (China) | 11,704.35 | −0.82% |
| CSI 300 (China) | 4,111.93 | −0.97%* |
| S&P/ASX 200 (Australia) | 8,831.30** | +0.16% |
| Sensex (India) | 73,709.69 | −0.19% vs. Mon. |
| Nifty 50 (India) | 22,811.35 | −0.34% vs. Mon. |
Source: Yahoo Finance daily chart data. Changes are from Tuesday, Oct. 20, closes, except India's, which are from Monday, Oct. 19, because Indian markets were closed Tuesday. \Yahoo Finance's daily data showed no earlier CSI 300 bars; its change is as reported by Trading Economics. \\Yahoo Finance's last ASX 200 price after the close; its daily bar for Wednesday showed no close.*
Why did Asian stocks rise today?
Super Micro's improved outlook lifted expectations for AI spending, and strong results from SpaceX, helped by its AI and satellite internet businesses, added to the mood, Trading Economics said in its Japan report. The move reversed much of Tuesday's sell-off; see our Asia Tuesday recap.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei bounced from one-month lows, led by Kioxia (up 2.8%), Advantest (1.7%) and SoftBank Group (1.5%), Trading Economics said. Banks recovered too, with Mitsubishi UFJ up 2.4% and Sumitomo Mitsui 2.3%. The index came off its highs as oil climbed on renewed uncertainty around U.S.-Iran talks, it said. Japan's exports grew less than expected in September but rose for a 13th straight month. The yen was at about 157.91 per dollar around 12:54 GMT, Yahoo Finance data showed.
Why did the Kospi jump?
Samsung Electronics rose 5.67% and SK hynix 5.81%, Trading Economics said. South Korea's exports surged 105.4% from a year earlier to $61.6 billion in the first 20 days of October, a record for the period, on a 222.5% jump in chip shipments, it said. Foreign investors were net buyers of 659.96 billion won of shares. SK Inc. gained 11.92% and LS Electric 7.02%.
Why did Hong Kong and China stocks fall?
The Hang Seng lost 216 points, closing at its lowest level since July, as tech and battery stocks fell, Trading Economics said. CATL dropped about 10% in Hong Kong and 12.03% in Shenzhen, to its lowest in more than a year, after reporting much slower third-quarter profit growth amid rising costs, fierce competition and slower Chinese auto sales, it said. Tencent fell 3.8% and Pop Mart 5.7%, while Lenovo rose 2.9%. In Shanghai, Kweichow Moutai fell 1.67% and PetroChina 2.26% on concerns about weak domestic demand.
How did Taiwan, Australia and India trade?
The Taiex rose 1.28%, moving away from Tuesday's lowest level since Sept. 17. In morning trade, TSMC was up 1.0% and Cathay Financial 2.5%, Trading Economics said.
The ASX 200 edged higher as U.S. stock futures firmed, Trading Economics said. Data-center operator NextDC plunged 40.6% after cutting its fiscal 2027 guidance over delays in getting power connections, while BHP fell 1.7% and Rio Tinto 1.8%. Xero gained 3.8%.
India's Sensex reversed early gains to close down about 0.2% as financial stocks, rising oil prices and foreign fund outflows weighed, Trading Economics said. Bajaj Finance fell 3.3%, while HCL Tech, Infosys and Tech Mahindra rose more than 3% each.
What comes next?
Europe's session is in our Europe Wednesday recap, U.S. futures and tonight's Tesla and Meta earnings are in our day-ahead guide, and live levels are on the markets page.
Follow the rest of the trading day on our global market today page, with the latest Asia, Europe and Americas session recaps.
Sources
- Trading Economics, South Korea stock market (Kospi)
- Trading Economics, Japan stock market (Nikkei 225)
- Trading Economics, Hong Kong stock market (Hang Seng)
- Trading Economics, China stock market (including the CSI 300)
- Trading Economics, Taiwan stock market (Taiex)
- Trading Economics, Australia stock market (ASX 200)
- Trading Economics, India stock market (Sensex)
- Yahoo Finance, chart data for the Nikkei 225, Kospi, Taiex, Hang Seng, Shanghai Composite, Shenzhen Component, CSI 300, S&P/ASX 200, Sensex, Nifty 50 and USD/JPY